Stop control mechanism



Sem. w, H940. l M. Rim-:TER 2,2%,383

sToF coNTRoL MEcHANIsM Filed Dec. l5, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 r2: iL

A TTORN Sept E0, E940. M. RICHTER 2,214,383

STOP CONTROL MEcHANIsM Filed Dec. l5, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY l ATTORNEY.

Sp l, i940. M. RICHTER 2,214,383

sTor CONTROL MEcHANIsM Filed Dec. 15, 1937 s sheets-sheet s' "n LE- Q- @j 65 ZZ jy f 617 7 il O O 50 v .M l 52 Mmmm f Sept l0, 940- M. RICHTER 2,214,383

STOP C oNTRoL MEGHANISM Filed Dec. l5. 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 A Y' TORNIL'Y Sept. l0, 1.940. M. RICHTER l 2,214,333

s'ioP CoN'rRoL MEG-RAMSI.:

Filed D ec. 15, 1937 l 6 Sheets-,Sheet 5 BY A I ATTORN t Sept. l0, 1940. M RlCHTER 2,214,383

STOP CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. l5, 193'? 6. Sheets-Sheet 6 INZENTOR:

Patented Sept. 10, 1940 STOP CONTROL MECHANISM Max Richter, West Reading, Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsyl Application December 15. 1937, Serial No. 179.807

10 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly to auxiliary stop means for yarn carrier bars or vrods for limiting the travverse of oneor more of the carrier rods at desired 5 periods in/the cycle of automatic or semi-auto-v.

matic knitting machines.

In the automatic or semi-automatic operation oi full-fashioned knitting machines. it is desired to begin knitting a second blank immediatelyl upon nishing the knitting of a previous blank and without delaying operation of the machine to reset certain of the mechanisms. `In order to accomplish this, it ls necessary to begin knitting the secondilank while the ordinary end stops i for the yarn carrier rods are being moved relatively to each other.

and the end stops must be moved after a blank is iinished before they can be used in the process of making the next one. Consequently, it has been proposed to employ an auxiliary stop means which is thrown into operation at' or toward the end of each blank-knitting cycle to permit continuous operation of yarn carrier rods or bars during the resetting of the end stops.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and emcient auxiliary stop arrangement for the yarn carrier rod or rods in use at the time the end stops are being moved.

Another object oi' the invention is to provide auxiliary stop means adapted for use not only at the time in the cycle that the end stops are being reset but also at other times` inthe cycle as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide auxiliary stop means including members individual to the rods and adapted to coact with a plurality of yarn carrier rods simultaneously or to permit a stop member for a yarn carrier rod to 40 be lifted when desired to permitthe rod to move -without hindrance from the member.

It is another object of the invention to provide a stop mechanism adapted to permit a carrier rod to make. a complete yarn laying stroke at its initial movement away from the laid out position.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed `description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown inthe accompanying drawings, my invention resides in thenovel elements. features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

An apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises, together with the necessary means for f This is because the two ends of the blank are of markedly diii'erent widths and the ,stop members have means. as for informing and interengaging the loops, aset of stop members mounted to move at right angles to the paths of the usual yarn carrier rods or bars and adapted to engage at desired times with projections on a rod or rods to limit their trav- 5 erse when operated by'a friction box or boxes or to hold a rod or rods in laid out position. Prefer-` ably, the invention includes an auxiliary cam shaft designed to operate in step-by-step fashion. the racking or stepping of which is activated l0 from a main rotating cam -shaft but controlled by a pattern mechanism such as the usual pattern chain. l The auxiliary cam shaft has an auxiliary pattern member thereon which may oe in the form of a chain. f

I prefer to make the stop device for limiting the traverse of a carrier rod in both directions as a pair of stop members and to provide only one stop member. similar to one of said pair, in cases in which it is desired only to retain a car- 2 rier rod in some given positionsuch for instance as the laid out position. Preferably. springs are provided for urging the stop members into position to engage the projections on the carrier rods stance hooks. lattached thereto whereby a memu ber may be withdrawn individually from engagement with its corresponding projection, either by hand or otherwise.

Means are provided whereby all the stop memu bers may be moved in unison under the control of the auxiliary pattern member and it is preferred that the stop member o r members for the yarn carrier rod or rods which are active during the knitting of the welt or which are held in a laid 35 out portion have three positions. in one of which they are free of the projections on the rod or rods. in another of which they engage a longer of two projections on the rod or rods and in a third of which they engage both a longer and a 4. shorter projection on the rod or rods.

A particular exempliiication of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of 45 a full fashioned knitting machine to which my invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, taken at a point intermediate to the needle banks;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a diierent section plane from Fig. 2 but illustrating certain parts shown therein and on a larger scale Fig. 4 is a sectional-view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows:

Fig. 5 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 4, but showing-the parts 4in different positions;

Fig. 6 is a view of part of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of arrow A; l

Fig. 'I is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are diagrammatic views illustrating a cycle of operations carried out by the apparatus of my invention; and

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a full fashioned leg blank alongside of an auxiliary pattern chain such as may be used in connection with my invention.

I n the drawings and description, onlythose parts necessary to a complete understanding of the invention have been set forth; further information as to the construction and operation of other elements not herein specifically pointed out, but which are usual and well known, being available in the pamphlet entitled Full Fashioned -Knitting Machines, copyright 1920, and in the Reading Full Fashioned Knitting `Machine Catalogues, copyright 1929 and 1935, published by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania, and in a pamphlet entitled Knitting Machine Lectures, published in. 1935 by the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Wyomissing, Penn- Sylvania.

'I'he -machine illustrated in-the drawings is in general a Reading type full-fashioned knitting Y machine but having certain automatic features added thereto. The machine shown has a frame III including a center bed Ii. A main cam shaft I2 designed to rotate continuously during the operationof the machine is journalled on the frame' I0 while loop forming means I4 of ordinary type are sh'own (Fig. 2) supported from the center bed 4II and knitting means of ordinary type including needle bars I5 are shown connected to receive knitting movements from cams on shaft I2 through rollers on levers I5 and I1 of usual form and the ordinary connections thereto. Yarn to be knitted by needles on bars I5 is laid in the usual way by yarn guides or carriers on a group of yarn carrier rods or bars mounted .to reciprocate in brackets I9 fixed to bed II. The rods are usually referred to as rods I to 3 beginning at the rear or at the left when'viewed from the left end of the machine or as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. 'I'he traverse of the rods when knitting is limited at one or both ends by end stops carried on end stop nuts 2l and whenA it is desired to decrease the distance between the outer selvage edges of the fabric being knitted, the nuts-2| are moved toward each other automatically by known means, preferably by threaded spindles 22 (Fig. 8), one at each end of the machine, which are actuated by impulses received from cam 23 on the cam shaft I2 under control of a usual pattern mechanism 24 including a pattern chain 25. When the pattern mechanism permits, an impulse from cam 23 is transmitted through an arm 25 to mechanism 21 which is adapted to rack the spindles 22 to move nuts l2 I. When the machine has finished a given blank it is .then necessary to reset the nuts 2|. In order not to interrupt the operation of the machine, the resetting operation is performed automatically by the mechanism 21 (Fig. 1). The mechanism 21 illustrated is not part of this invention and is not claimed herein, but is furthereillustrated and described as Well as. claimed in Patent No. 2,109,140 issued Feb. 22, 1938, upon the application led by Max Richter and Julius Bareiss on May 28, 1935, Serial Number 23,834.

At the same time that nuts 2I are moved toward each other, the mechanism 21 actuates reversely threaded spindles 29 to draw toward each other the pairs of nuts 29, one pair at each end of the machine, to actuate narrowing rods 30 to move the narrowing combs`3l toward each other at the time they are raised after being first dippedby a narrowing machine including a front narrowing shaft 32 from which rods 30 are supported by brackets 33. Shaft 32 may be dipped when desired in the usual way by cams on shaft I2. 'I'he nuts 29 are moved apart or reset at the Sametime as the nuts 2| by mechanism 21 from a position they occupy at the end of one blank to a position they occupy at the start of the next blank. The impulses for causing a narrowing movement of nuts 29 and combs 3| come from cam 23, the same as those for nuts 2l. The .impulses for resetting the nuts 2| and nuts 29 by means of mechanism 21 originate from a cam 33 on shaft I2. Cam 33 is a double lobed cam so that it 4delivers twice as many impulses per revolution of shaft I2 as cam 23 and thereby resets the spindles 22 and 23.

During the period in which the resetting of stopsr20 and nuts 2l occurs, an auxiliary stop means must be employed and an auxiliary stop means or mechanism 34 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) is illustrated for limiting the stroke of the yarn carrier rod or rods used during such period. Mechanism 34 includes stop members 35. A pair of members 35 are provided for each carrier rod which may be employed for knitting during the period of resetting nuts 2l and nuts 29, but where a carrier rod is only to be held in laid out position by the stop mechanism only one stop member 35 need be employed for it. The stop members 35 are shown mounted to reciprocate in transverse slots in a block 36 and held in place by side plates 31 fixed to block 36 by screws `43. Block 36 is so mounted that stop members 35 lie each in the plane of a carrier rod and each carrier rod intended to cooperate with one or more stop members 35 has one or more dogs thereon. As shown, only the carrier rod 3 is intended to lay yarn during the resetting of the end stops 20 and combs 3l, the rod 3 being shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as having two dogs 4I and 42 thereon for cooperating with a pair of stop members 35. The carrier rod 3 is intended to be laid out, when not in operation, on the right hand side of the machine. When it is picked up by the friction box at the beginning of a period in which it is to lay yarn, usually at the beginning of the welt portion of the fabric, the carrier rod 3 must pass beneath the right hand and left hand end stops for the rod as shown in Fig. 8. The end lstops 20 for the carrier rod 3 therefore are raised at this time to the necessary height by automatic means not shown herein but shown and described in said' patent by Richter and Bareiss. Stop members 35 being centrally placed, the left hand dog 42 must pass beneath the members 35 and these stop members are shown in Fig. 8 at a height permitting dog 42 to pass therebeneath to permit the yarn carrier rod to make a full yarn laying stroke on its initial movement away from its laid out position and the dog 4I must engage the right stop member 35 to properly position the left hand travel of the carrier rod 3. Dog 4I is therefore made highervthan 42 so that it strikes a stop member 35 when the stop members are in the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The nuts 2I not being suiiiciently far apart to give room for laying a welt, the stops 23 must be retained in elevated position until nuts 2| have been moved sufficiently farv apart to bring end stops 29 to the proper positions. The carrier rod therefore passes beneath the left hand stop 23 on the initial left hand stroke of the rod as shown in Fig. 9. 0n the return stroke, the nuts 2| still are not in the desired positions, so the end stops 25 are maintained in their uppermost position and the carrier rod passes beneath the right hand end stop 23 as shown in Fig. 10. By this time, however, the stop members 35 have been lowered sufflciently to engage the shorter dog 42 as shown in Fig. 10, thereby properly locating the right hand selvage travel of the carrier rod, shortly after which, the nuts 2l having been moved as far apart as necessary. 'the end stops 20 are dropped and the central stop members 35 are raised as shown in Fig. 1lv so that the auxiliary stop means is no longer effective.

It will be noted that members 35 may occupy three different positions at different times, the uppermost being shown in Fig. 11, the intermediate one being shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and the lowermost one being shown in Fig. 10. At certain points in e cycle, one or more yarn carrier rods, and in this instance rod 4, need to be held from moving even though coupled to their friction boxes in order to permit an idle course movement or for other purposes. The fact that members 35 may occupy threedifferent positions permits one or more of them to be used for locking purposes and the rod 4 therefore 1S pIlOvided with a high dog 39 (Fig. 3) similar to dog '4I, but placed so that it can engage a member 35, if it .is not in too high a position. The rod to be locked, such as rod 4, in this instance, is locked in its right hand position, and, by suitably setting the buttons on the main pattern chain, the members 35 may be operated` at the proper time 'to lock the carrier rod or to control the length of stroke of a carrier rod as desired. Therefore, to control the locking of such rod or rods. it is then necessary only to lower the members 35 into engagement with the dog or dogs 39 thereon. By raising members 35 at the proper time, the rod 4,

or any one of the carrier rods that may have a v high dog 39 thereon, are -released and permitted to make a yarn laying stroke. While I have found it convenient and, for certain reasons set out hereinbelow, prefer to provide three positions for the member 35 and have so shown them it will be seen that this is not absolutely necessary and that the members 35 need have only two positions, one shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and the other shown in Fig. 10.

The mechanism for positioning the members 35 in carrying out a desired knitting cycle is shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7. The arrangement of this mechanism includes a rigid arm 43 which is fixed to a rear horizontal frame member 44 and extends upwardly and forwardly therefrom. 'I'he block 35 mentioned hereinabove has a rearwardly extending arm 54 which is xed to the upper forward end of arm 43 and a lifting bar 45 ls provided which is mounted to move relative to the 49 to plates 33 cast integral with the upper end of v arm 43, a pin 59 being provided to pin the rear arm 54 of block 35 to arm-43. The bar 45 ex-f tends from link 45 to link 41 beneath inwardly projecting dogs 55. one on each of a group of handle pieces 5I provided one at the upper end of each stop or locking bar 35. A rocking motion of links 45 and 41 in one direction therefore moves bar 45 away from the carrierrods to lift members 35 while av rocking motion of these links in the other direction permits members 35 to move downward toward bars or carrier rods under the influence of springs 52. tween outwardly projecting pins 53 on side plates 3': and outwardly projecting noses 54 on handles s A The means sh wn for swingingor rocking links 45 and 41, thereby moving stop or locking members 35, comprises'a lever 55 which is pivoted at a point intermediate its ends to a bracket 55. Lever 55 preferably extends up to the level of the top of link 41 or thereabout and at its upper end, is connected by a link 51 with a lug 55 on the Springs 52 extend beupper portion of curved link 41 so lthat an oscillating-movement of lever 55 on its pivot causes link 41 to move link 45 and bar v45 and thereby the members 35. A spring 5|. is connected between a hook 52 on lever 55 above the pivot point of the lever and a pin 53 ilxed to the arm 43 and tends to pull the upper end of lever 55 forward, to the right in Fig. 3, to lower members 35 while a roller 55 at the lower end of lever 55 bears against a camming means 53 shown as including an auxiliary or supplemental pattern chain 55, the links of which determine, in connection with spring 5|, the angular position of lever 55 and thereby the height of members 35 froml the carrier rods. Chain 55 is shown as passing around and extending horizontally from wheel 51 and as having links of three diierent heights. The roller 55 is shown in Fig. 3 as pressing against a link 55 of least height. Members 35 are then in their lowest position, corresponding to'Fig. 10. If wheel 51 is turned one link distance vin the clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 3, roller 55 then will bear on a link 59 of intermediate height. The members 35 will then be in. their intermediate position corresponding to that shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Several additional steps ofl wheel 51 will then bring one of the highest links 15 in contact with the roller 55 and the members 35 are thenLat their highest position as shown in Fig. 11.

'Ihe wheel 51 is mounted on an auxiliary cam shaft 12 and means 13 are provided for racking almost vertical when inactive. 'Ihe vertical arm of lever 14 carries a roller 15 arranged to contact, when the lever is inactive, the portion of larger radius of a cam 1I on shaft i2. -The upper end of lever 14 is pivotedto a link 11 at the front end of the link while the rear end of link 11 is pivoted -to a racking arm 15 swivelled on shaft 12.y A finger 19 extending downwardly from the rear end of link 11 is connected to the rear end of a spring 5|l the forward end of which is connected to an upstanding finger 52 ilxed to a back beam 93. The stress of spring 8i is transmitted through link 11 to throw the vertical arm of lever 14 forward whenever permitted. A lever 94 plvoted on a front beam 35 so as to swing in a horizontal plane is arranged to pass beneath the forward end of the horizontal arm of lever 14 to hold it against the tension of spring 8| and thereby to prevent lever 14 from swinging on its pivot. The lever 84, is connected to one of the horizontal rods 88 extending along the front of the machine and which are operated by the main pattern chain 25. Said rod 88, connected to lever 84, is actuated at proper times by chain 25-to withdraw it from beneath lever 14. Spring 8| thereupon forces roller 16 to follow cam 1| throughout its perimeter and cam 1| has a low spot'per' mitting spring 8| to throw the vertical arm of lever 14 forward and back once each revolution of the carn whenever lever 14 is unimpeded. Arm 18 is oscillated whenever lever 84 is Aoperated and a pawl 81 pivoted on arm 18 is operated to rack a ratchet wheel 90 fixed to shaft 12 and thereby step shaft 12 and change the position of chain 56. A clock pawl or ratchet 9| holds the wheel 98 against return movement.

The chain 56 is shown in Fig. 12 arranged parallel to a stocking blank 92 of a full fashioned stocking, the upper dot-and-dash-line portion of the blank indicating the portion of the blank which is knitted first and afterward turned or folded to form a two ply welt according to the common practice. From Fig. 12, it is apparent that low or narrow'links 68, positioning members 35 in their lowest position, are used only at two periods in the cycle of knitting blank 92, one

period for holding carrier rod 4 in its laid out position in which it is held by engagement of the dog 39 with one of the members 35 between such member and a usual stop for determining the laid out' position of the carrier rod after the knitting vof the ravel course portions 93 at the ends of the heel tabs 94 of the blank and another after the rst course of a welt 95 has been laid. Fig. 12 indicates also that the members 35 occupy their intermediate positions at only. one period during the cycle, or at the beginning of the Welt 95. After resetting of the nuts 2| and 29 has been completed and throughout the remainder of the cycle only links 1U of greatest height are used, thereby maintaining the members 35 'in their uppermost positions in which they are entirely inactive. y

It will be seen that the reasons for having three positions of the positioning members 35 are that in their highest position they may be fully protected against contact with other objects by the parts 36 and 31 and do not oifer any interference to the dogs or projections such as 4| or 42, while in their lowest position they intercept not only the high dogs but the low ones, and in their intermediate positions they intercept the high dogs and. allow the low dogs to pass.

Of course, the improvements specifically shown and described by which I obtainthe above results, can .be changedand modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

1. In a knitting machine having a main shaft and means to shift said shaft from knitting to narrowing position and back, the combination with a yarn carrier rod and end -stop therefor movable in the path of the rod to vary its traverse and also movable out of the path of the rod to permit the rod to be operated full stroke at a time when the end stops are being moved longitudinally of the path of the rod, of projections extending outwardly from one edge of said rod, auxiliary stop means including a device movable into the path of said projections, a pattern chain, an auxiliary chain having links of unequal height in the plane of the chain, means controlled by links of said auxiliary chain for throwing said device into and out of the path of said projections, and means controlled by said pattern chain independently of the'position of said shaft for stepping said first chain to time the action of said auxiliary stop means.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination as set forth in claim 1 and in which the yarn carrier rod is arranged to be laid out at one side of its path of normal travel and the means for controlling the auxiliary stop means are arranged to throw the auxiliary stop means into action as the rod moves out of its laid out position.

. 3. In a knitting machine, in combination, a yarn carrier rod mounted to reciprocate in laying yarn, stops adjustable to vary the traverse of said rod, said rod being adapted to be laid out at one side of the path of. travel it uses in laying yarn, means to move said stops to increase the distance therebetween at a point in the operation of the machine, said rod being movable from its laid out position while said stops are being moved apart, an auxiliary stop means, and means arranged to cause said auxiliary stop means to catch said rod upon its initial movement away from its laid out position.

4. In a knitting machine, the combination as set out in claim 3 and in which lthe rod has a pair of dogs thereon, one of which projects farther from the rod than the other to cooperate with the auxiliary stop means.

5. In a straight knitting machine having a group of parallel carrier rods. in combination, end stops for saidrods movable into and out of the paths of the rods, auxiliary stop and lock members for cooperating with said rods mounted to move at right angles thereto, means urging said members toward said rods, and means for moving said members against said urging means and for determining the position taken by said members comprising va bar transverse to but parallel to the upper edges of said rods and engaging said members, a parallel motion for moving said bar, a camming means controlling the action of said parallel motion, a main cam shaft, means for transmitting racking impulses from said. cam

shaft -to said camming means, a pattern chain, f

and means for controlling said impulse transmitting means from said pattern chain.

6. In a knitting machine, the combination with a yarn carrier rod, pattern means and means for advancing said pattern means, of a plurality of dogs on said rod, a device for engaging one of said dogs in only one of three positions of the device laterally of the rod and engaging another of said dogs in either of two of said positions, and means controlled by said pattern means for moving said device to and from each of said three positions relative to another.

7. In a knitting machine, the combination with a yarn carrier rod, main pattern means, and means controlled by said main pattern means for actuating auxiliary pattern means, of a plurality of dogs on said rod, a device. for engaging one of said dogs in only one of three positions of the device lateraily of the rod and engaging another of said dogs in either of two of said positions, and auxiliary pattern means actuated by said actuating means for moving said device to and from each of said three positions relative to another.

8. In combination in a full fashioned knitting v machine, a cam shaft. yarn carrier rods mounted Aio for longitudinal reciprocation and carrying stop cooperating elements of different heights from the rods intermediate the ends thereof, plunger stops movable transversely to the rods into and out of the paths of movement of said stop elements, stationary means bridged across the rods for positioning the plungers, movable means bridged across the rods for controlling the positions of the plungers relative to said stop cooperating elements, an auxiliary control shaft, camming means advanced by said auxiliary control shaft for giving said movable bridging means at least'three diiierent positions, and means controlled by said main pattern device for causing said cam shaft to advance said auxiliary control shaft.

9. In a knitting machine, the combination as set forth in claim 3, and in which a pair of projections of diiierent lengths xed on the rod co- 2o operate with the auxiliary stop means and means to move said auxiliary stop means toward said rod in two steps in the first of which engagement occurs only with the longer of said projections.

10. In a full fashioned knitting machine having a main cam shaft and pattern controlled means for shifting said shaft from knitting to narrowing position and back, the combination with a yarn carrier rod mounted to reciprocate and having a projection intermediate its ends extending from one edge thereof, a device movable into and out of the path of said projection, a pattern means, a camming means, means controlled by said camming means for throwing said device into and out of the path of said projection, and

means controlled by said .pattern means inde pendently of the position of said shaft for racking said camming means to time the action of said throwing means.

MAX RICHTER'. zo 

